The three of them were just returning from scouting the forest. It was barely five days when they started the test, and yet they've been struggling a lot and almost got caught multiple times already. To think they still have two more days to finish the test.
"It's only been five days and were totally exhausted..." Kishi complained, sulking as he walked beside Kira.
Sighing Airi said. "I told you, didn't I? The old hag gave us an extremely hard test. It may sound so easy but it wasn't really that easy or we'll be done with this already..."
Kira seemed to be in deep thought, ignoring the two.
Amy came to them the next day after Amili thought them the value of beads. And just as they expected it, she came there to explain what was it all for. Though what the children didn't expect, was to be suddenly given a simple but complicated test.
The test started the next day, allowing them to have enough time to prepare themselves for the task.
The test will proceed for a whole week, and the whole E-class were divided into groups of three. They were all scattered all over Harmonia except for the Jade empire and the forbidden empire. They were all given a small shelter to stay in that was prepared by the school, which is also close enough for them to visit the neighboring cities.
The task is to hide their true identities long enough for the test to end.
Though as simple as it sounds, judging from the struggles of the children, it wasn't as easy for them.
And keeping a low profile isn't its only purpose. Although Amy didn't say anything, it was also a survival test.
If the people were to find out who they were, danger might come at them without them even realizing it. As children of high esteemed families, they were always accompanied by bodyguards to ensure their safety. The outside world isn't safe. They may be powerful and defeated quite a handful of strong mages, but in the end, they were still children and there will always be someone else that would be stronger than them who wishes their demise.
And the best way to avoid danger, is to hide their identity from anyone, for they will not know whether the person they were speaking to is a friend or foe.
Once they spotted the cabin that was assigned to them, Kira immediately returned to reality and Kishi fell silent as if he noticed the very same thing she did.
"Why? What's wrong?" Airi asked in confusion, not knowing what two were thinking.
He subconsciously looked around and became frantic the moment he sensed another presence.
What confused him more though, was the fact that the twins started approaching the unknown presence, not even the slightest fear, nor doubt seen in their faces. They appeared calm. It was as if they see that unknown person as no threat. Airi though, had enough with trusting strangers. The last time something like this had happened, he lost his only father.
Clenching his fist and biting his lip, he followed them, but with his guard up, and with an uneasy feeling.
As if sensing that he was troubled, Kira assured him. "It's alright, it's just a girl."
"And I doubt she is much of a threat as she didn't even bother to hide her presence." Kishi added.
"But what if she never meant to hide her presence!!?" Airi argued.
Shaking his head, Kishi sighed. "Aren't you being paranoid?"
"I'm just being cautious!" he retorted.
"Whatever the case is, she's unconscious" Kira told them. Making the two boys surprised to find her already crouching by the girl, after only second, they let out of their sight.
Kira turned to them with an anxious look and asked in concern for the girl. "What should we do?"
The two boys exchanged glances. Airi was reluctant at first, but Kishi managed to convince him with his gaze.
Sighing he said, "Fine...but what should we do with her though?"
And just as he finished his sentence, the girl groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she saw the three of them, she was surprised and quickly jolted up, baking way from them.
"Nisan, what should I say to her?" Kira asked, not knowing what to do.
Her brother merely shrugged, as lost as she is. "Beats me. I guess we should ask her if she's alright?"
"Oh, okay. Are you alright?"
Totally stunned and weirded out she involuntarily gulped and hardly formed her words
.
"I-I'm okay..."
"Are you sure? You are covered in wounds..."
"No! I'm okay, I'm really okay--"
Her tummy grumbled unexpectedly all of a sudden, making the atmosphere awkward between them.
"Oh...you're hungry..." Kishi broke the awkward silence.
Kishi walked beside his sister and placed a hand on Kira's head, and his other hand reaching toward her.
"The two of you are two kind." Airi mumbled almost to himself.
And so, they let her enter the cabin and provided her some food.
As she bit the apple they gave her, her wounds abruptly healed and she felt so energized. She was surprised but she suppressed her urge to ask, feeling that she might sound ungrateful if she did.
"Thank you...for being nice to me..." She thanked them, tears welling from her eyes as she stared at the apple.
They once again exchanged glances. "Why are you crying?" Kira asked.
"It nothing, I just..."
"It's okay, you can tell us what happened..."
Although Kira tried to coax her, she remained hesitant. Of course, what's the point of telling anyone. Not to mention their just kids who barely even know anything about the world. She may be young, but these kids are even younger. She bet that they wouldn't even care for whatever she has to say, so what's the point? Or so she thought, until Airi told her as if reading her mind.
"You think were too young, do you? We may be kids but so are you. You might be slightly older than us, and you might think that you've experienced so much more than all other children, but how much do you really know to say that. Tsk, and were the ones being considerate here..."
She suddenly felt guilty and just bowed her head. Seeing her expression Kishi said, "Just don't mind him, he was not feeling very well lately."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Airi asked annoyed but they just ignored him.
Taking a deep breath, she began. "I was just a commoner, but the crown price of the Leon Kingdom wanted to marry me and be his mistress." Pursing her lips, she continued. "He was an evil person. He does not care about his people; he doesn't care what will happen to us as long as he could get whatever he wanted. He is such a spoiled brat just like all those nobles. They only care about themselves and make us commoners suffer. But seriously, I get it, it's not like anything's different, things have always been like that from the very beginning. It's nothing new. They would only sit on their chairs and order people around, getting whatever they wanted without effort; wasting money like water on the river. While we, the commoners need to work very hard just feed ourselves, yet they didn't care. I hate them!"
They somehow feel offended, but they kept mum. They knew nothing about the common realm, but she also knew nothing about the noble or the scared realm. So, what right does she have to judge them? In the end, the poor isn't the only ones who suffer. The rich have their own problems too. The world gave them all an equal number of problems. Unlike the poor, the rich cannot make mistakes for they will lose so much, while the poor might be pushed around, they were allowed to make mistakes and they will have nothing to lose. To be more accurately, they may get punished, suffer humiliation, be beaten, but that's it. What was it to compare to the shame of someone so high then suddenly falls so deep?